B. J. Leiderman
Bernard Jay Leiderman[1][2] (born February 14, 1956),[2] known as BJ Leiderman, is an American composer and songwriter. His best-known works are his theme music compositions for public radio programs, including National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, Science Friday, and American Public Media's Marketplace.[3][4]
Leiderman attended Virginia Tech, but dropped out and became a stage actor, then a cameraman at WTAR (now WTKR) in Norfolk, Virginia.[2] He later studied broadcast journalism at American University in Washington, D.C.[2] Leiderman's Morning Edition theme music was used for 40 years, from the show's first broadcast on November 5, 1979 until May 3, 2019.[5]
As of 2013, Leiderman lived in Swannanoa, North Carolina.[4] He produced his debut album BJ (2017), featuring The Randall Bramblett Band and Béla Fleck.[6][7]
References[]
- ^ David Menconi, Is NPR’s BJ Leiderman for real?, News & Observer (June 15, 2017).
- ^ a b c d Adam Ragusea, BJ Leiderman: the manic-depressive minstrel of public media, Current (January 20, 2017).
- ^ "BJ Leiderman video montage of his themes for NPR" on YouTube
- ^ a b Laurie Weaver, The Story of BJ Leiderman, Our State (September 5, 2013).
- ^ Niraj Chokshi, NPR's 'Morning Edition' Changes Its Tune After 40 Years, New York Times (May 6, 2019).
- ^ "BJ [Explicit] by BJ Leiderman". Amazon Music. May 6, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
- ^ "BJ Leiderman". BJ Leiderman. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
External links[]
- Home page
- "Composing For National Public Radio: A Conversation With BJ Leiderman" - KPBS, March 29, 2011 by Angela Carone, Jocelyn Maggard, Maureen Cavanaugh
- ...who composed "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!"'s theme music?
- 1956 births
- Living people
- Emmy Award winners
- American public radio personalities
- Musicians from Norfolk, Virginia
- 20th-century American composers
- 21st-century American composers
- American male composers
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians
- Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!